398 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



Decj ub] b 4, 1915. 



PLANT DISEASES. 



BURGUNDY MIXTURE AS A SUBSTITUTE 



FOR BORDEAUX MIXTURE. 



I is experienced in several of the 

 Wesl Indian islands in obtaining quicklime for the prepar 

 k mixture, and in keeping it in g 

 n it has i ired. This has resulted in 



the use i or partialis slaked, lime for thepurpose, 



with the result that an inferior mixture has been produced 

 Instead of resort ing in this difficulty to expensive and un a 

 factory commercial pn it may : ted 1 hat 



the use .if Burgundj mixture, in which the lime is replaced 

 1\ ing soda ) ofl alternative thai 



I nits. 



According to experience covering a period of five years 

 in the use of Burgundj as compared with Bordeaux mixture 



ust potato blight, the Department of Agriculture for 

 [relaridn it the formei better results in the yield 



of th d possi moreoi er, the follow ing 



advai en where g I lime is available: — 



1. The spraying mixture adheres longer to the foliage 

 of the plants, and is not so readily washed off by rain. 



2. The mixture is more easily 1 prepared. 



3. The nozzles of the machine are not so likely to 

 ome stopped up with grit or refuse material. If the 



mixture is carefully made there should be no sediment. 



Dr. A. S. Borne lias recently published in the Journal 

 ol the Royal Horticultural Society a formula fur a Burgundy 

 mixture which is rendered more adhesive by the addition of 

 milk, and records verj successful results from its use against 

 leaf-curl disease of peaches. The proportions are as follows: — 



( topper sulphate 9^oz. 



Washing soda 1 [oz. 

 Milk |pint. 



Water 3galls. 



The quantities do not need to be altered when the milk 

 i- omitted. 



The Irish formula is given as 



( Jopper sulphate 

 Washing soda 

 Water 



8ft>. 

 10ft>. 

 40salls. 



which may be remembered as 8 L0 10. It differs slightly 

 from the \\ isle\ formula in the larger amount of soda, and 

 with the quality of materials at the disposal of this Office it 

 has been found slightly alkaline, ami therefore presumably 

 Bale, while the latter was somewhat acid. The quality of the 

 bate was equal in the two eases. For small quantities 

 ni I) be approximately reduced to: 



Copj ihate 6£oz. 



Wash 8oz. 



Water ' 2galls. 



It is greatly improved by the addition of milk as in the 

 Wisley formula. 



It must be remembered that ii is the Imperial gallon ,,f 

 20 oz. to the pint, and not the American of 16 oz. that is 

 indie ulaj. 



The solutions of copper sulphate and of soda are to be 



tely as in making Bordeaux mixture, but the 



-et oi 3 barrels commonly used for the latter is not necessary. 



The copper sulphate soluti not come in contact with 



metal, so that the most convenient method is to have o 

 large barrel which is to hold the prepared mixture, run ii 

 t liths oi the water, and suspend the copper sulphate in 

 a piece ol .-nek ing near the surface of this until dissolved. 1 1 it 

 red it will ol coui dissolve more quickly. The soda 

 i- dissolved in the remaining i pint 



i of the whole), an operation which may be 

 cai tied out in a pail or kerosene tin. The copper i 

 solution is then to be stirred round and i solution 



■ ■lily poured in. The resulting mixture is light blue ii 

 colour, and if well made is full of a flocculent precipi 

 which remains suspended in the water without any stirring. 

 The colder the solutions ai mixing, the better 



quality of the precipitate will be. The mixt ure should be used 

 :i. since the precipitate on standing becom lline 



and heavy, and loses its adhesive powers. 



The mixture maj l with litmus paper, and more 



strong soda or copper sulphate solution added if necessary, 

 until the mixture is neutral or slightly alkaline. Acidity i- 

 indicated l>y blue lit inns turning red, alkalinity by red 

 litmus turning blue, ai utrality by neither change occurring. 

 The price of copper sulphate in Barbados is 15c. 

 per He; washing soda is |c. per th. retail, but can be 

 obtained in LOOlb. kegs at L'.'.r. At the latter price the 

 mixture would cost just over 3Jc. per gallon. 



W. N. 



COCO-NUTS. 



MANURIAL EXPERIMENTS AT NEVIS. 



The following are the f.rst year's results of a series of 

 manurial experiments, conducted under the auspices of the 

 Agricultural Department, with coco-nut palms about seven 

 years old growing at Pinneys' estate in Nevis. The details of 

 the work have been carried out by Mr. W. I. Howell, the 

 Agricultural Instructor, and although they are only the first 

 year's records, the results are interesting and suggestive, as is 

 also the method of recording the different yields based on the 

 difference between the number of nuts on the tree at the 

 beginning and the end of the experiment. It is important 

 to remember that the term 'nut' is employed to represent 

 a fruit from the matured (dry) stage to the size of a 'select': 

 say, H inches round the middle and 18 inches over the 

 ends. Smaller nuts are not included in the meaning of the 

 term: — 



PLOT !. 



Number of nuts on the 28 trees at the beginning 



of experiment — — — 830 



Average number of nuts per tree — — 29'6 



Received as manure: — 



Nothing. 



Number of nuts collected during tie year — Tl'L' 



Average number per tree — — 25*7 



N umber of nuts left on trees at close of experiment 659 



Average number per tree — — 23"6 



PLOT '-'. 



Number of unison 28 trees al beginning of experi- 



ment 

 \vci.i;_'e number per tree 



981 

 350 



